Kabuto woke up to an impact across his entire body.

He had been thrown onto a stone floor and chained to the wall, and the impact from the fall had woken him up. Itachi was standing in the doorway, glaring at Kabuto.

"If you won't work under torture, maybe we should just starve you," he snarled. "See if a dry tongue is a loose one."

"Kill me," Kabuto whispered, closing his eyes and simply letting himself hang from his bonds. "Go ahead…and kill me…Orochimaru-sama…means more to me…than my own…damned…existence…I…I would do anything…anything to protect him."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Your death awaits." And with those last cruel words, he spun on his heel and left, slamming the door behind him. Kabuto heard the lock click and sighed. His chakra was still sealed off, and he had no contact with anyone or anything. He had no idea where Orochimaru was; hell, he had no idea if the sannin had even survived the raid! Orochimaru was strong he knew: but he was a lot more susceptible to torture because of his past traumas. Had Kabuto's worst fears come true; had Orochimaru been captured?

With these last terrible thoughts in his mind, Kabuto slipped into a deep, restless sleep.

OOOOOOOOO

Orochimaru glanced around at the ninja gathered before him. He had called for the best and gotten nothing less: the Sound Four, however tired from the raid by Akatsuki, had come along anyway, armed with their typical weapons and a suspicious amount of pills. Many of Orochimaru's top ninja had shown themselves: Karin, a split-personality kunoichi who could track chakra signatures, Ryuu, a bit of a nasty character who was ruthless in battle, Hataru, a young, spry and slightly-hyperactive girl who was constantly bouncing around and screaming, and Kurori, a slightly-crazy ex-Suna-nin who had come to Orochimaru in hopes of power and a better life than his poor existence in Sand. Orochimaru was even pleasantly surprised by the last addition to the team of about fifty ninja: the Uchiha brat had shown his face after all. He had completely neglected Oto during the earlier raid, and Orochimaru fully intended to speak with him about it, but for now, Sasuke was here. Kimimaro had hauled himself up for one last mission: he said Kabuto was like a brother to him, and even if he bitterly hated him, he would do it for Orochimaru's sake. Orochimaru seemed touched at the gesture: a real smile traced his features for the first time in days.

"Ready? Because if you're not, too bad!"

A snort of laughter went through the crowd, and Kimimaro nodded. Orochimaru headed out at a furious pace: anyone who couldn't keep up wasn't worthy to be here, anyway.

OOOOOOO

Kabuto's slumber was interrupted by sudden light.

The door opened with a horrible, screeching groan and an explosion of light, leaving Kabuto blinking and trying to adjust his eyesight in a hurry. When his vision finally adjusted, he could see the outline of a tall, imposing figure: Itachi.

Kabuto smiled, knowing it would irk Itachi. "Back so soon?" he asked conversationally. "I was beginning to worry…"

Itachi promptly backhanded him across the face, and Kabuto spat out a mouthful of blood. "Shut your mouth if you know what's good for you, piece of shit," Itachi snarled. "Haul your ass up and I'll go easier on you."

"Chained down," Kabuto reminded him, as if he was ordering dinner.

"Exactly."

"Aw, come on, you're not that cruel."

"Hells yeah, I am. Now shut your mouth!"

Kabuto's endeavors were rewarded with a prompt kick to the side, and he gave a short grunt of pain. He kept his mouth shut for once, though: one kick was enough for him.

Itachi leaned down and released the chains around Kabuto's wrists, ankles, and neck, allowing him to stand when told to. Kabuto, however, was so weak he could hardly hold himself up: it took a lot of effort and panting to get himself to his feet, let alone hold himself up.

It didn't matter anyway. Itachi reached over, grabbed his hair, and shoved Kabuto forward, hard enough to knock him down even if he was healthy. Kabuto fell to the ground, yelping as his hair was abruptly yanked. Itachi let him fall, kicking him in the ribs as he went.

"Get up, you brat," he snarled, kicking Kabuto again. "I said get up!" he shouted when Kabuto didn't move. He kicked Kabuto a third time, then picked him up by the neck and slammed him into a wall. Kabuto bit his lip to keep himself from crying out in pain. Save it for when you need it, he told himself. But somehow, he wasn't comforted.

"At least tell me one thing," Kabuto gasped when he had regained his breath. "Where's Orochimaru-sama?"

Itachi's features came together in an unpleasant scowl, and he kneed Kabuto in the stomach. "I'm the one asking questions here, bitch," he snarled. "Make sure you know it." Another blow to his stomach fell, this one a punch, and Kabuto cried out when he felt several ribs breaking. He used the tiny bit of chakra he could squeeze out to keep them from puncturing one of his lungs: nothing more. He had to keep squeezing out the chakra he could, and just be patient. The seals weakened with every passing moment, and Kabuto had to push them to open every chance he got, so he would have enough chakra for an emergency.

Maybe now qualified.

Kabuto was roughly turned around and slammed into the wall, and he screamed in pain as bruises, lacerations, and open wounds were torn at brutally. Kabuto could hear Itachi fumbling with his clothes-not again, please not again, anything but that, anything but that-! The pleas were hot on his lips, but Kabuto forced them down. He could hear something going on in the hallway, but it barely registered in his brain as a cold hand was brought down to run along his smooth, supple backside.

"Such beautiful skin," Itachi murmured. "Nice and hot with fear: just how I like you."

"Touch him, Uchiha Itachi, and I swear upon my own life, I will rend you limb from limb."

That voice…it wasn't possible…!

"O-Orochimaru-sama…?"

"Kabuto, hush. I'll get you out of here, I swear."

Itachi felt a shiver go down Kabuto's spine just as the teen went limp in his arms. As he stepped away from him, Orochimaru surged forward in a flash of black and white, catching Kabuto and carrying him to the side.

"Kabuto?"

Kabuto could hardly hear Orochimaru anymore. His lungs were giving out under the pressure of a massive puncture ripped by his own rib. He didn't have enough chakra to shield himself right before Itachi threw him into the wall: he knew that Orochimaru was alive and safe, and then he could die happy.

"O-Orochimaru…sama…I-I'm so…I'm so sorry…"

"Kabuto…?"

Itachi smirked and turned to Orochimaru. "Well, that'll do it folks!" he said grandly, addressing the rest of the Otonin. "That's our show for today! Good bye, assholes!"

"Not so fast."

Sasuke was standing squarely in front of Itachi, katana in hand, Sharingan glaring three tomoes at his brother.

"You're not getting off that easy."

OOOOOOOOO

"Kabuto-don't die, you hear me…? Kabuto, don't-don't die! Please, don't die-don't die-don't die-don't die, please, don't die!!"

A small smile touched Kabuto's face. "Orochimaru-sama…you're free…please, go while you still are…! You have such an amazing life ahead of you-don't be brought down by me. I left something for you…back in Oto…th-the last vent…green snake…fifth cabinet…top…right…it's there…b-but…don't let…anyone…find it…"

Orochimaru shook his head. "Not yet-! Kabuto, th-there's still time…! Kabuto, yo don't understand, if you die, so do I-I couldn't think of living without you, I don't deserve this life, not at all-! I owe everything to you, I can't leave you here to die-I…I can't…!"

"Go…!"

Watching Kabuto wither in his arms, Orochimaru knew this could be it. No more Kabuto…no more playful, teasing kisses, no more stolen breaths, no more sneaking touches between their duties, no more smart-mouthed, insolent insults, just…silence.

Sometimes, when just one person is missing, the world seems depopulated.

The irony of it all…

Orochimaru shook his head, tears spilling from his golden eyes and flying onto every surface. "Kabuto…Kabuto, please…try…for me…"

Kabuto shook his head. "Too late…"

For a moment, Orochimaru felt the world crash to a stop.

"Kabuto!!!"

OOOOOOOOO

He woke up in someone's warm embrace.

White. Everything was white. The first thing Kabuto noticed about the place was that it was sickenly white. It made his eyes burn with the sudden light, and it reminded Kabuto vaguely of Orochimaru's eyes.

"Orochimaru-sama!"

Kabuto wasn't aware that the words had been ripped from his lips until he heard them: even then, they sounded fuzzy and far away, as if someone else was screaming to him from a distance. He vaguely felt a rush of air, and suddenly his view changed. A stinging pain in his side made him lie back, though, and he groaned in pain, rubbing his sinuses.

Shinigami will take them back to the moment of death, and from there, he will drag them into hell…

"Kabuto?"

Someone's hopeful voice penetrated his sudden stroke of panic. "Orochimaru-sama?"

And there he was, in all his conceited glory: face splattered with blood, matting his hair, staining his skin-

"I told you not to come with me-Orochimaru-sama, you had something, I-I gave you your chance-!"

"I'm not dead, retard."

"Then…how are you…and I…and then…and…aaaaaaaaaaaaah!! this is so confusing!"

Orochimaru sighed. "Well, at least we know you're breathing alright again. Kabuto, don't you get it? Neither of us are dead-you're alive, I'm alive, and you're in the hospital, recovering from two operations."

Kabuto's eyes widened. "Have you left my side during the entire thing?"

"Nope."

Kabuto sighed. "That explains it. Now go shower, you smell like road kill."

"Whoa, hello!"

A female walked in, smirking. "Well, if he can mouth off like that, he's fine," she said, walking over to Orochimaru's side. "But really, you need a shower…"

"Three days kills," Orochimaru mumbled. "I feel filthy, too. Damn Uchiha pride…he had to get away, after all that."

Kabuto sat up again-slowly this time, staring at Orochimaru. "So…I'm not dead…?"

"A little slow to the uptake, ne?" the girl chuckled. "Whatever. Look, just get some sleep so Orochimaru-sama can shower in peace-or at least, without the constant fear of you dying hanging over us. Seriously, young man, for the first night, we didn't think you would make it."

Kabuto shook his head. "I didn't think I would make it either."

The girl sighed and sat down next to him, placing two of her fingers on his neck as she did so. "We had to perform two operations, one to get your lungs repaired, and the other to get your chakra fully functional again. And Orochimaru insisted on being there the whole time, even though he almost got sick. Three times."

Orochimaru sighed. "You transplanted a piece of flesh the size of a steak," he mumbled, "Dripping blood onto me in the process. I can honestly say I wasn't completely sick, but it did get me feeling a little woozy. I think I'm going to be vegtarian for a week or so..."

"A little? You almost threw up!"

"Hey, my head is killing me, can we fight about this when I can effectively restrain Orochimaru-sama?"

Orochimaru glared. "Oh, he's back to normal, all right. Now I can give you the lecture."

The girl sighed and jotted down the last of Kabuto's vitals.

"Here we go again with the mood swings. First he's crying, then he's barfing, then he's-"

"Shut up!!"

A/N: Yes…tragedy…nyah, you didn't think I would actually kill Kabuto, did you? Jeez…